This is a collection of photos chosen by AP photo editors.
A drain pulls in residual rain water floods the downtown area caused by Tropical Storm Debby, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Bladenboro, NC. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Ann Farkas walks in her flood-damaged home in Canisteo, N.Y., Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, after remnants of Tropical Storm Debby swept tough the area, creating flash flood conditions in some areas. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
Randy Sikes, left, brooms water out of Diamond Dave's Grill as residual rain water flooding the downtown area due to Tropical Storm Debby begins to recede, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Bladenboro, NC. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
A resident measures the depth of the flooded street with storm water from Tropical Storm Debby, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024 Pooler, Ga. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)
Bullfrog Creek, a tributary of the Alafie River, left some creekside homes inundated with floodwaters following Tropical Storm Debby, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Alafia, Fla. (Max Chesnes/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
Savannah Fire Advanced Firefighters Andrew Stevenson, front, and Ron Strauss carry food to residents in the Tremont Park neighborhood that where stranded in flooding from Tropical Storm Debby, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Savannah, Ga. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)
Brantley Schnabel helps his family carry sandbags to their van while preparing for Hurricane Debby at a county park, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Savannah, Ga. Debby reached the Big Bend coast of Florida early Monday, bringing with it the potential for catastrophic flooding and life-threatening storm surge. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)
Tybee Island Department of Public Works employee Bruce Saunders uses a backhoe to pile sand as a barriers against storm surge from Tropical Storm Debby at a beach access point, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Tybee Island, Ga. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)
This satellite image provided by NOAA shows Tropical Storm Debby as it moves through the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida on Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024. (NOAA via AP)
A surfer comes out of the water after riding the high waves created by Tropical Storm Debby near the Tybee pier, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Tybee Island, Ga. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)
Kim Paul, 60, and her dog, Diesel, in front of their Shore Acres residence, as floodwaters reaches nearly halfway up her driveway, Monday morning, Aug 5, 2024, as Hurricane Debby passed the Tampa Bay area offshore. (Dylan Townsend/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
Flooding is seen near homes as The Don CeSar looms in the background Monday morning, Aug. 5, 2024 in St. Pete Beach, Fla., as Hurricane Debby passes the Tampa Bay area offshore. (Max Chesnes/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
Guests at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World brave wind and rain as bands of weather from Hurricane Debby pass through Central Florida, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Bay Lake, Fla. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP)
Hershey Stepherson, left, and Bryan Burc, right, use a five gallon bucket to fill a sandbag while preparing for Hurricane Debby, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Savannah, Ga. Debby reached the Big Bend coast of Florida early Monday, bringing with it the potential for catastrophic flooding and life-threatening storm surge. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)
Debris covers the ground in Moncks Corner, S.C., from a possible tornado as Tropical Storm Debby settles over this region of South Carolina, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024 (Megan Fernandes/The Post And Courier via AP)
People wade into the flood waters overcoming Gordon Street as rain continues to fall from Tropical Storm Debby, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Charleston, S.C. (Henry Taylor/The Post And Courier via AP)
Trip Hamilton, from Charleston, S.C., canoes down Ashley Ave in Charleston as Tropical Storm Debby approaches, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Mic Smith)
A neighborhood a half-mile from the Alafia River is inundated with waist-high water after rainfall from Tropical Storm Debby swelled the river, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Alafia, Fla. (Max Chesnes/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
PHOTO COLLECTION: Tropical Weather Debby
PHOTO COLLECTION: Tropical Weather Debby
People attach a towline to a stranded vehicle on a flooded street after heavy rain from Tropical Storm Debby, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Savannah, Ga. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)
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Hershey Stepherson, left, and Bryan Burc, right, use a five gallon bucket to fill a sandbag while preparing for Hurricane Debby, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Savannah, Ga. Debby reached the Big Bend coast of Florida early Monday, bringing with it the potential for catastrophic flooding and life-threatening storm surge. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)
A drain pulls in residual rain water floods the downtown area caused by Tropical Storm Debby, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Bladenboro, NC. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Ann Farkas walks in her flood-damaged home in Canisteo, N.Y., Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, after remnants of Tropical Storm Debby swept tough the area, creating flash flood conditions in some areas. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
Randy Sikes, left, brooms water out of Diamond Dave's Grill as residual rain water flooding the downtown area due to Tropical Storm Debby begins to recede, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Bladenboro, NC. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
A resident measures the depth of the flooded street with storm water from Tropical Storm Debby, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024 Pooler, Ga. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)
Bullfrog Creek, a tributary of the Alafie River, left some creekside homes inundated with floodwaters following Tropical Storm Debby, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Alafia, Fla. (Max Chesnes/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
Savannah Fire Advanced Firefighters Andrew Stevenson, front, and Ron Strauss carry food to residents in the Tremont Park neighborhood that where stranded in flooding from Tropical Storm Debby, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Savannah, Ga. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)
Brantley Schnabel helps his family carry sandbags to their van while preparing for Hurricane Debby at a county park, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Savannah, Ga. Debby reached the Big Bend coast of Florida early Monday, bringing with it the potential for catastrophic flooding and life-threatening storm surge. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)
Tybee Island Department of Public Works employee Bruce Saunders uses a backhoe to pile sand as a barriers against storm surge from Tropical Storm Debby at a beach access point, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Tybee Island, Ga. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)
This satellite image provided by NOAA shows Tropical Storm Debby as it moves through the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida on Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024. (NOAA via AP)
A surfer comes out of the water after riding the high waves created by Tropical Storm Debby near the Tybee pier, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Tybee Island, Ga. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)
Kim Paul, 60, and her dog, Diesel, in front of their Shore Acres residence, as floodwaters reaches nearly halfway up her driveway, Monday morning, Aug 5, 2024, as Hurricane Debby passed the Tampa Bay area offshore. (Dylan Townsend/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
Flooding is seen near homes as The Don CeSar looms in the background Monday morning, Aug. 5, 2024 in St. Pete Beach, Fla., as Hurricane Debby passes the Tampa Bay area offshore. (Max Chesnes/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
Guests at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World brave wind and rain as bands of weather from Hurricane Debby pass through Central Florida, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Bay Lake, Fla. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP)
Hershey Stepherson, left, and Bryan Burc, right, use a five gallon bucket to fill a sandbag while preparing for Hurricane Debby, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Savannah, Ga. Debby reached the Big Bend coast of Florida early Monday, bringing with it the potential for catastrophic flooding and life-threatening storm surge. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)
Debris covers the ground in Moncks Corner, S.C., from a possible tornado as Tropical Storm Debby settles over this region of South Carolina, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024 (Megan Fernandes/The Post And Courier via AP)
People wade into the flood waters overcoming Gordon Street as rain continues to fall from Tropical Storm Debby, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Charleston, S.C. (Henry Taylor/The Post And Courier via AP)
Trip Hamilton, from Charleston, S.C., canoes down Ashley Ave in Charleston as Tropical Storm Debby approaches, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Mic Smith)
A neighborhood a half-mile from the Alafia River is inundated with waist-high water after rainfall from Tropical Storm Debby swelled the river, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Alafia, Fla. (Max Chesnes/Tampa Bay Times via AP)
PHOTO COLLECTION: Tropical Weather Debby
PHOTO COLLECTION: Tropical Weather Debby
People attach a towline to a stranded vehicle on a flooded street after heavy rain from Tropical Storm Debby, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Savannah, Ga. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)
MAGDEBURG, Germany (AP) — Germany on Saturday was still in shock and struggling to understand the suspect behind the attack in the city of Magdeburg.
Identified by local media as 50-year-old Taleb A., a psychiatry and psychotherapy specialist, authorities said he has been living in Germany for two decades. He was arrested on site after plowing a black BMW into a Christmas market crowded with holiday shoppers Friday evening, killing at least five people and wounding about 200 others.
Prominent German terrorism expert Peter Neumann posted on X that he had yet to come across a suspect in an act of mass violence with that profile.
Taleb’s X account is filled with tweets and retweets focusing on anti-Islam themes and criticism of the religion while sharing congratulatory notes to Muslims who left the faith. He also described himself as a former Muslim.
He was critical of German authorities, saying they had failed to do enough to combat the “Islamism of Europe.”
He has also voiced support for the far-right and anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
Some described Taleb as an activist who helped Saudi women flee their homeland. Recently, he seemed focused on his theory that German authorities have been targeting Saudi asylum seekers.
Neumann, the terrorism expert, wrote: “After 25 years in this ‘business’ you think nothing could surprise you anymore. But a 50-year-old Saudi ex-Muslim who lives in East Germany, loves the AfD and wants to punish Germany for its tolerance towards Islamists — that really wasn’t on my radar."
On Saturday, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser told reporters: “At this point, we can only say for sure that the perpetrator was evidently Islamophobic – we can confirm that. Everything else is a matter for further investigation and we have to wait.”
A German-based organization called Athiest Refugee Relief said the alleged attacker was not a part of the group and claimed that he made “numerous accusations and claims” against it and former board members, which it said were false.
“We distance ourselves from him in the strongest terms," the group said in a statement on its website, adding that members of Atheist Refugee Relief filed a criminal complaint against him in 2019 following “the most foul slander and verbal attacks."
An image taken from a video shows police officers arresting a suspect after car drove into a crowd at the Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, Friday Dec. 20, 2024. (TNN/DPA via AP)
A person stands by flowers and candles placed outside St. John's Church near a Christmas Market, where a car drove into a crowd on Friday evening, in Magdeburg, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)